


Ζῆλος

by Sorrows_Ending



Category: VIXX
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-17
Updated: 2016-08-27
Packaged: 2018-08-09 08:42:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7795090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sorrows_Ending/pseuds/Sorrows_Ending
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Even after all this time, Leo still has not solved all the mysteries that make up N. The man is unpredictable. His moods depend on his latest whim or fancy, which can change within the blink of an eye. Despite him being the first and the oldest, Leo is none the wiser amongst the other boys. Nor is he the favorite. N has no favorite. Sometimes, he chooses a different boy every night. And other times, he chooses the same boy for days in a row. There is no rhyme or reason to his ways. But N loves them all equally.</p><p>Tonight, N summons for all five of them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. προέλευση

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be just a one-shot. But then things happened and kind of spiraled out of control and...yeah. idk. I'm tired. And VIXX just had their comeback. So really, I'm dead.

‘Finally,’ Leo thinks in relief. Placing the last dish on the rack to dry, Leo is done washing dishes. He wrings his hands dry with a towel before placing it on the counter. Trudging back to the living room, he wonders what is on TV tonight. Maybe the latest drama he’s been watching is airing a new episode. He hasn’t really been keeping up, but he enjoys it nonetheless when it does come on. However, by the noisy ruckus emanating from the living room, his plan seems to be dashed. Leo sighs, walking in to the scene of Hyuk and Ravi bickering. 

“Why isn’t it my turn tonight?” Hyuk whines, sticking out his bottom lip in a pout.

“You had N all to yourself last week because of your 19th birthday, so you have no room to complain,” Ravi shoots back. Hyuk sticks out his tongue and Ravi mimics him. The absence of Hongbin immediately clues Leo in to what’s happening and he refrains from saying the obvious.

“Don’t worry Hyukkie,” Ken slides in between the squabbling two and wraps an arm around the maknae’s shoulders, bringing Hyuk flush to his side. “I can keep you company tonight.” Ken obnoxiously winks, making kissy faces. Unimpressed, Hyuk snorts and shoves his face away.

In the end, Leo knows Hyuk will eventual cave in to Ken’s whining, so he turns his back to the three and starts to head back to his room. A feather light touch at his shoulder stops him before he can turn the door knob. 

“Leo,” Ravi whispers lowly.

Turning around, he’s met with Ravi a breath away from his face, a sheen of lust glazing his hooded eyes. Ravi slips his hand into his, waiting for Leo’s answer to his unspoken question.

As always, Leo never answers with words. Even if he did bother, he would never deny him. Squeezing Ravi’s hand, he leads the other into the bedroom. The last thing he sees before Ravi closes the door is Hongbin’s back, the other man entering N’s personal bedroom.  

* * *

He was the first.

Taekwoon was twenty-two when he met N. He was a college student, barely scraping by. He worked two jobs, one as a bus boy at a restaurant and the other as a cashier at a convenience store. Both jobs sucked, as they were insufferably boring and the pay low. But neither jobs required him to talk much except for the bare minimum of ‘hi’s’ and ‘how are you’s’, so it was tolerable. His life was a mundane routine. Wake up, go to school, study, work, come home and study some more, go to bed, rinse, and repeat. He didn’t have many friends, his quiet and aloof appearance making him not the most approachable guy. He didn’t mind too much. Taekwoon preferred his space anyways.

The only thing that brought some color into his life was when he sang. The restaurant he worked at sometimes had live acts to entertain the guests. When there was no one, they would ask him to go sing.

The spotlight shining on him and the expectant eyes never fail to make his heart pound a little faster. The way his lungs expand as he sings, the feel of the mic in his hand, the ease the lyrics glide off his lips, it’s as natural as the sun rising every morning or how the wind blows through the trees. He loves every minute of it, like he was born for it. Maybe in another life, he would have been a singer. It’s something he muses about. Yet, he’s living this life, not in some alternate universe, so he doesn’t dwell on it for too long.

It’s a typical Friday night when the manager approaches him and asks him if he could sing again. Taekwoon wordlessly agrees with a nod of his head. He’s stepping onto the small stage when the door chimes jingle as a customer walks in. A man with dark, purple hair takes a seat towards the back. The first notes of the song start to flow into the air when it happens: their eyes meet.

The stranger’s gaze casts such a hold over him he can’t look anywhere else. His eyes are mesmerizing and mysterious. It feels like no one else is in the room anymore. Everything else in the room melts away, except for the two of them. The man smiles and Leo’s heart lurches.  Leo sings, sings more passionately, sings for the beautiful man. 

As the song ends, so does the spell between the two. Reality seems to snap back into focus and it startles Taekwoon back into his senses. Dazed, Taekwoon blinks and comes to the sight of cheers and claps and an empty chair where the man sat. Was it all his imagination?

It is, Taekwoon concludes.  There is no other explanation, as he does not see the man for the rest of the night. The night shifts back to its predictable normalcy. Taekwoon is thankful when his shift is over.

Leo is walking out the back door of the restaurant when he hears footsteps. His eyes widen because it is him. The man holds out his hand for a handshake for Taekwoon and he gingerly takes it. Taekwoon stares at how his skin is so pale in contrast to the man’s tan, flawless skin.

 “You were amazing tonight. Your voice is truly gorgeous,” the stranger says with the utmost sincerity. Taekwoon blushes at the man’s compliment. It doesn’t escape his notice how the stranger still hasn’t let go of his hand.

“My name is N. What’s your name?” the man asks.

“Taekwoon,” Taekwoon answers gently.

“Taekwoon. It’s a nice name. But I think if you’re going to sing for me, you should have something that fits you more. You seem a bit quiet, but your voice, it’s so strong. Powerful. From today, your name is Leo.”

N brings Taekwoon’s right hand up and kisses it. From the moment N’s lips touch his skin, something changes, Taekwoon’s whole world tilting off its axis.

Taekwoon is now Leo.

* * *

 

They all have different stories. The next to come into the picture is a boy named Ken, a rich kid from the Gangnam district. He catches N’s eye one day when the him and Leo are out shopping. The kid bumps into N and is quick to apologize, his sweet voice melodic to the ears and his eye smile charismatic. N is instantly smitten and asks the boy to join them for lunch.

The rich boy’s plump lips seem to be stretched into a perpetual smile the whole time they talk, animatedly telling stories and impersonating different animals. N can’t hold in his laughter at the boy’s silliness, clutching his stomach and wiping away tears of mirth. Leo ducks his head a few times, having to stifle his giggles. He’s shy about his laughter. 

“This is the first time I didn’t have to pay for everything,” the rich boy jokes. Leo stops sipping his latte at those words because even if though it’s said in a joking manner, the tone of the boy’s voice is odd. He takes a look at the boy, a really good look, and the sparkle in the boy’s eyes is dull and his perpetual smile is ephemeral after all. His personality is as bright as the sun and his platinum blond hair, but if this rich boy is the sun, then there are clouds in his life, people who are using him just for his money and fail to appreciate his light and warmth.

“Come home with us,” N says at the end of their lunch date to the boy. It’s not a question or a suggestion. The boy does not hesitate to follow them back.

The next morning, a missing persons ad can be seen posted everywhere, pleading for any type of information about their beloved son, Lee Jaehwan. The posters go ignored. 

* * *

 

A few months later, Ken and Leo are introduced to guy named Ravi, a struggling artist and composer. Leo is watching a sappy romantic movie with Ken snuggling into his side when N brings the boy home.

“This is Ravi. He’s going to be stay with us from now on.” N says. The boy, now known as Ravi, looks rough around the edges, an unapproachable aura surrounding him. Leo feels Ken shifting nervously next to him, already wary of their new addition. 

“Don’t be shy, Ravi. Say something.” N nudges the boy. 

“Please take care of me.” Ravi’s voice is deep and a little gruff, enforcing more of his scary image. Leo and Ken nod in acknowledgement.

Soon enough, time shows how the tough look is only surface deep. Ravi’s heart turns out to be soft and sweet. It’s evident in the way his lips curve up shyly into a smile, the way he looks expectantly at N for approval. Assiduousness and passion bend his back over his notebook, to which most of his time is dedicated to.  

“What are you writing about?” Leo asks one day. Ravi has holed himself up in his room all day and the curiosity of what the younger man does has gotten the best of Leo. Ravi jumps, the pencil he was writing with falling from his hand.

“Leo, you scared the crap out of me!” Ravi huffs out in laughter. He grabs his pencil from where it fell on the floor and places it in his notebook, closing it to mark his place.

“What are you writing about?” Leo asks again.

“Just…things,” Ravi says cryptically. A blush appears on his cheeks, as though he is embarrassed. Leo presses on.

“Can I take a look?”

“Just…” Ravi trails off. “Just don’t laugh.”

The notebook is filled with small, neat handwriting. Leo reads and he reads and he can’t stop reading because every syllable draws him in and holds him captive. He’s speechless.

Mistaking his silent awe for dislike, Ravi begins to ramble. “I know what I write isn’t the best, but I truly enjoy it and with time I will get better hopefully and-”

Leo holds up a finger and Ravi instantly shuts up.

“it’s amazing. You’re amazing. Your work should be out there for the world. Why isn’t it?”

“Well, I couldn’t afford college, so I’m mostly self-taught in music and composing. There was one point I was barely getting by and I was rapping for money in the park, hoping people would throw their spare change. And that’s…” a sentimental looks washes over Ravi’s face “That’s how N found me. There was one point in my life that I dreamed about being a producer or maybe even a rapper. But I don’t need that anymore. I have N and I have you guys. I consider myself lucky to have you guys.” 

Funny, Leo thinks they are the lucky ones for having Ravi in their lives.

* * *

 

Hongbin takes a little while to warm up to the odd bunch of boys. Skittish at first, Hongbin is subdued and quiet. He flinches at loud noises and is quick to jump at the slightest touch.  Trembles wrack his hands and his tongue. For a while, Leo has met his match in the contest of silence.  The boy has hardly spoken in the weeks he’s been here. Leo finds it hard to get close to Hongbin. He doesn’t even want to touch him. He’s afraid he will break him.

The only time Hongbin seems to be at peace is when he is with N. Shoulders hunched in tension relax when N wraps an arm around his waist and his shaking hands still.

Leo remembers the first time he sees Hongbin truly smile. Thunder streaked across the sky that night, the threat of rain looming in the clouds. But the rain did not come. Instead of rain, the sound of a news report blared in the living room, all eyes on the TV. Ravi’s head rested on his lap, his sleepiness forgotten. At his feet, Ken stared open mouthed, silent for once. N brought Hongbin closer to his side and kissed the top of his head as Hongbin stayed glued to the TV in sick fascination.

No one knows how the fire started or why it was so uncontrollable. The strip club burns brightly, the red and oranges hues of the flames flickering wildly in the screen of the TV and in the reflection of Hongbin’s eyes. The reporter at the scene confirms that the owner and the workers are all dead.

For a moment, Leo forgets to breathe. The sight of Hongbin’s smile is beautiful. Perfect, pearl white teeth are revealed as his lips stretch from euphoria, dimples dotting his cheeks.  Hongbin laughs and the sound of it is prettier than the tinkling of the sweetest bells.

Leo wants to make Hongbin smile as much as possible.

* * *

 

Hyuk is the last to join. A scrawny, high school student, who stumbled in behind N one day, still in his uniform. Except his uniform is rumpled and dirty, blood staining some parts of his white shirt. His lip is busted and there are cuts on his face. The sight is alarming.

“I’m going to go clean up Hyukkie, and then you can introduce yourselves.” With that said, N gently takes Hyuk by the arm and leads him to the bathroom. 

After about thirty minutes, the pair reemerges. This time, Hyuk is out of his uniform and in more comfortable clothes. Leo recognizes the shirt hanging off Hyuk’s frame as his own shirt. It basically swallows up the boy whole.

“I’m sorry you had to see me that way. My name is Hyuk.” The boy bows lowly towards them. Hongbin is the first to approach him.

“it’s nice to meet you, Hyuk.”

Almost instantly, the boys click with Hyuk. He’s the youngest out of everyone and he is often doted on. Again, Leo finds it hard to connect. Their age difference looms over them, constantly reminding him that Hyuk is merely a child. Why did N decide to bring him home? They were just fine with the five of them. He says nothing about it though, and also says nothing to Hyuk except in absolute necessity. N shoots disapproving looks at Leo for this, but Leo can’t be bothered. He’s not being nice, but he’s not being mean either. 

It’s in the dance studio that the awkward relationship between Leo and Hyuk changes. N is practicing, the elegant and effortless way he moves always enchanting his audience. It certainly has Hyuk’s attention, who is watching with starry adoration in his eyes.

“He’s amazing, isn’t he?” 

Leo is surprised and for a second, looks behind to see if the other three had returned from the bathroom. Who else could Hyuk be talking to? But it’s still only them two, N lost in his own world of dancing.

“Yeah, he is.”

“I hope I can be as good as him some day. I hope to be good as all of you guys. You are all so talented.”

Leo’s face scrunches up in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“Well, N is so good at dancing, and Ken is an amazing singer and is really funny, Ravi can write and rap, Hongbin’s photography is great and he’s gotten really good at the guitar and he’s so handsome, not like you guys aren’t handsome, you are all handsome and you hyung…” Hyuk bites his lips, cheeks coloring pink. “Your voice is beautiful. Your singing is amazing. I just want to be good enough. I want to be good enough, like all of you guys. I just want someone to be proud of me. I don’t want to be lonely anymore.”

This is the most Hyuk has ever spoken to him. It leaves Leo speechless. Before he has the time to scramble his brain back and form a coherent thought, Hyuk is called away.

“Hyuk! Come practice with us!”

Leo’s eyes never leave Hyuk as the youngest practices hard, the concentration on his face evident by the sweat on his brow and his focused eyes. The song ends and Hyuk slumps down to the floor, chest heaving with labored breaths. Ravi, Ken, and Hongbin all crowd around him and tell him how well he’s been doing and how much he’s improved. N watches with pride. The smile on Hyuk’s face is so bright and wide. 

Hyuk doesn’t have to worry about being alone or not feeling good enough. Not anymore. The six of them will always be together. Leo is sure of it.

* * *

N’s appearance is deceiving. He’s tall, except among the six of them he’s the shortest one, so his height is not imposing. His body is lean, petite, almost delicate. Leo thinks of him as bird-like. He certainly doesn’t shut up like a bird, always twittering on about something or another. But his small stature belies his his strong, compelling disposition. Taking charge is second nature to him, and he does so with ease and grace.

“Leo, faster, _faster_ ,” N demands.

Even when he is beneath him, panting and whimpering in pleasure, coming undone right before his very eyes, he’s still dominant and it’s so inexplicably _sexy._

Leo submits to his wishes and moves his hips faster, eliciting louder moans. It’s not long before N releases a cry of ecstasy, Leo soon following afterwards.  It takes every ounce of strength he has left not to collapse on top of N. 

Catching their breaths, Leo takes the moment to admire the beautiful man underneath him, violet hair fanned out in sharp contrast on the white sheets. Tanned skin flushed with exertion, cheeks rosy and lips shiny and swollen, N gazes up with such tenderness, a surge of warm shoots up Leo’s spine as N leans up to kiss him.

“So beautiful, Leo, you’re so beautiful,” N mumbles in his ear. He kisses his brow, kisses his eyes, peppers kisses all over his face until he reaches his lips again and Leo wants to tell him no, he doesn’t compare to N, how did become so blessed to be chosen like this. But N doesn’t relinquish his lips, so he continues to be kissed, holding N tightly to him, so tightly he feels the skin beneath his fingertips give under the pressure of his grip, bruises sure to bloom in the morning.

“Mine,” N whispers against his lips. “Mine, mine mine.”

“Yours,” Leo breathes back. “I’m yours.”

Entangled in the sheets, the intense high from orgasm slowly wavers down into cuddling, with N’s head pillowed on Leo’s broad chest. N plays with Leo’s fingers, humming absentmindedly.

“Sing for me, Leo-ah.” Leo looks down to see N gazing up at him, something indescribable swirling in those deep, dark eyes. It’s magnetic, a force pulling him in so strongly, it’s inevitable to look away.

Without a second thought, Leo begins to sing.

* * *

Even after all this time, Leo still has not solved all the mysteries that make up N. The man is unpredictable. His moods depend on his latest whim or fancy, which can change within the blink of an eye. Despite him being the first and the oldest, Leo is none the wiser amongst the other boys. Nor is he the favorite. N has no favorite. Sometimes, he chooses a different boy every night. And other times, he chooses the same boy for days in a row. There is no rhyme or reason to his ways. But N loves them all equally. 

Tonight, N summons for all five of them. 

The windows are open, the curtains billowing in the night’s breeze. The windows are directly in front of the huge bed, letting in the cool air soothe their hot skin.  Ken’s hair tickles against Leo’s ear as his body leans against his right side, snoring softly. Hongbin lays in Ken’s lap, long lost in slumber. N is curled up against his left side, one hand in his hair and the other holding his hand. Next to N, Hyuk and Ravi are still kissing, although more chastely than minutes ago. Eventually, their kisses dwindle down to little pecks, shortly succumbing to sleep as well.

Leo is oblivious to his own eyelids slipping close until the rustle of the bedsheets flutters his eyes open again. He blinks away the drowsiness, seeing N hovering above him. Before he can even process what is happening, N is swooping down, capturing his lips into a kiss. It’s long and sweet and Leo will never tire of the taste of N.  The kiss lasts forever and just a second at the same time because no measurement of time can successfully describe what N’s kisses are like.

“Goodnight, my dear Leo,” N murmurs. 

The curtains of darkness draw in as Leo also slips into unconsciousness, N kissing the emblem of an eye on the back of his hand being the last thing Leo sees.


	2. Παρασκευή

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys get ready for the upcoming day.

Love. 

It’s what the six of them have. There is no doubt about it. How else could you describe their relationship? Leo can’t put another name to it. In the past, before he was chosen, he did have a few dating experiences with boys and girls alike. But they paled in comparison to what he has with N and the other boys. What he thought was love crumbled to what he has with the five of them.

When N chose him, he thought he would be N’s only one. Time proved that to not be true. Yet, instead of the jealousy which seemed inevitable, Leo only felt his love grow. His heart loved and he is loved in return. But the love was not immediate, Leo will confess to that. He had to learn to love. He had to learn each boy’s quirks, accept their flaws, take in the good and the bad. And of course, they had to do the same with him.

But sometimes, the love he has for the boys is heavy. Is it right to love them? Leo was chosen to be N’s, so shouldn’t he only love N? Is it wrong to love the others too? Should he cast away his love and only love N unconditionally? These questions whirl in his head when the night is a bit too dark, as he contemplates his life when the silence is too loud to bear. He knows the love he has for N is slightly different than what he feels for Ken, Ravi, Hongbin, and Hyuk. But it is no more genuine. And he knows that the others return his love with the same intensity.

This uncertainty wriggles in the back of his mind, sometimes forgotten and sometimes so prominent it’s all he can think about. It turns out he is not the only one who shares this worry.

“Don’t you get jealous when you see us kiss or be with each other?” Hyuk asks N one day. The question causes Hongbin and Ken to pause their video game. Ravi looks up from his composition notebook and Leo stops stirring the pot of noodles on the stove. All eyes are on N, awaiting his answer.

“What brought this on, Hyogi?” N asks, closing his book to give Hyuk his full attention.

Hyuk seems hesitant to answer, twiddling his thumbs nervously. “Well I…I know you chose all of us to be with you, not to be with each other. But we are, and you never say anything. And sometimes…” Hyuk pauses, biting his lip as if to stop his train of thought from going too far.

“What, Hyukkie? It’s ok, don’t be afraid,” N assures Hyuk.

Taking a deep breath, Hyuk continues. “Sometimes…I get jealous. I get jealous when I see the others with you or with each other. I feel like…you don’t love me as much. All of you don’t love me as you all love each other.”  

A pregnant pause follows after Hyuk’s confession. Everyone is waiting with bated breath to see what N will say.

“Oh, Hyukkie, my baby” N coos. He sweeps Hyuk into a bone crushing hug and smooches him all over his face. Hyuk’s face scrunches up in mock disgust, whining at his over the top display of affections 

“Yah, you were just complaining about being jealous and now you don’t want my kisses? You are such a brat!” N chops Hyuk’s neck, the youngest giggling uncontrollably. When his laughter dies down, N places a firm kiss on his lips with a loud _smack!_

“I want you to remember this, Hyuk-ah. I love you, just like I do Leo, Ken, Ravi, and Hongbin. I love all of you. And I want you guys to love each other too. What’s mine is yours, and what’s yours is mine. That’s why I’m not jealous. And that’s why you shouldn’t be jealous of any of us either,” N says, tapping the tip of Hyuk’s nose.

Hyuk nods and N wraps him into another hug, swaying the maknae back and forth.

“Group hug!” Ken yells and all of sudden, Leo is dragged by Hongbin to join in. Ravi’s elbow is pressed uncomfortably against his ribs and he’s getting a mouthful of Ken’s hair and in any other situation, Leo would be really annoyed. Yet, he can’t be, because the smiles on everyone’s faces and the laughter in the air fills him with warmth and happiness.

This is love. This is his family.

* * *

 

The warmth of the sun shining through the window and hitting his bare back is tipping Leo over the edge of dreams and into consciousness. He doesn’t want to fall over just yet, content in the embrace of sleep. So he closes his eyes tighter and wills himself back into dreamland.

“GOOOOOOD MORNING SUNSHINE!” Ken sings, opening the door with a loud _bang!_

So much for sleep.

A disgruntled grumble comes from the lump that is Leo under the blankets. Maybe if he stays still, Ken won’t see him and will go away. It’s wishful thinking, but it doesn’t hurt to try.

Of course, his plan doesn’t work when he feels an extra weight suddenly on top of him. Ken giggles, finding it the funniest thing in the world to be crushing Leo to death.

“I hate you,” Leo mumbles.

“Aw, I love you too,” Ken snuggles closer.

With a grunt, Leo pokes his head out from under the covers.

“Go away,” Leo says, mustering up his best glare. It’s not very effective, Ken giving him a winning smile.

“No can do, sweetheart. But I know why you must be so tired.”

“Ken, please,” Leo sees where this is going and it’s a direction he doesn’t like. 

“Because you’ve been running through my mind all day.”

“Ugh.” With a groan, Leo ducks back under the blankets. Its way too early for Ken’s cheesy lines. “First of all, the day has barely started. And second of all, your pick up lines don’t work on me. Go try on someone else. Like Ravi.”

“Already did. And the result was great morning sex. A beautiful way to start the day.” Ken beams proudly, as if he achieved something great. Leo snorts.

“How are you constantly horny 24/7?”

Ken puts a hand over his chest, acting wounded. “Your words hurt me! I am not constantly horny! I just need physical affectation every second of the day.”

“Whatever you say. Alright I’m up, I’m up. “Leo pushes Ken off of him and stretches his arms above his head. The pull of his muscles feels refreshing and it effectively wakes him up a bit more. Leo sighs, turning around to see Ken staring shamelessly at his naked torso.

“Hey, quit gawking and go get ready.”

“Excuse me for enjoying the view.” Ken winks dramatically. A snore heard from the other room interrupts Ken before can say another word.

“Sounds like Ravi fell back asleep. Go wake him up again.”

“Fine, fine. Then you go wake up Hongbin. Hyuk is with N and they are already getting ready.”

Leo nods and accepts the quick kiss Ken leaves on his lips before turning and walking to Hongbin’s room to wake up the second youngest. 

“Hongbin,” Leo calls out.

Hongbin doesn’t stir, still within slumber’s grasp. Quietly, Leo approaches the sleeping boy.

“C’mon Hongbin-ah. You need to get up. It’s time to get ready.”

“Hmm? I don’t want to” Hongbin snuggles more into his pillow.

“Come on, let’s go.”

Leo lifts up Hongbin into a sitting position, then pulls him up to stand. He tugs on Hongbin’s hand and Hongbin sleepily follows, completely dependent on Leo to guide him. They reach the bathroom and Leo strips the younger man of his clothes until he is fully naked. Hongbin blinks, more awake as the cool air raises goosebumps on his skin.

“Get in, Hongbin,” Leo instructs after he turns on the water. Hongbin follows obediently, the spray of the water hitting his body and warming him up. He sighs in appreciation.

“Leo, help me wash." 

Wordlessly, Leo undresses and joins Hongbin in the shower. The warms water feels heavenly and he lets out his own pleasurable sigh.

“Stand in front of me, Hongbin.” 

Hongbin does so and Leo instantly gets to work. He lathers up the shampoo into Hongbin’s hair, scrubbing well. Hongbin seems to melt to putty in his hands, shoulders drooping in relaxation. When Leo is done with his hair, he moves on to his body. Hongbin moans as Leo’s hands roam, washing every inch of skin. The slickness of the soap gives his fingers the ease to glide over lean, strong muscles. 

"I’m done,” Leo says after all the soap has rinsed off Hongbin.

“Now it’s my turn.” 

Leo’s head tilts back as Hongbin works his hands through his hair, his fingers sure and gentle. Hongbin washes his hair, then works down to his body. From his shoulders, to his chest, down all the way to his legs. His fingers trail everywhere and kneads at tight muscles, massaging away the tension. Leo moans; Hongbin’s hands are pure magic.

“All done,” Hongbin announces. Leo turns around to face Hongbin and gives him a small peck.

“Thank you,” Leo mumbles against his lips, quiet but honest. He loves showering with Hongbin. He loves showering with the others too, but they are usually a little more boisterous, with other "activities" on their mind. Hongbin differs from them in that aspect. Although nudity usually equates to sensuality, that's not always the case. This simple moment spent with Hongbin clearly shows it can be more. It was innocent, but no less intimate. 

“Of course. And thank you too.” Hongbin smiles and Leo leans forward to kiss each dimple on his cheeks, making Hongbin giggle.

A knock on the door disrupts them before anything else can happen.

“Hey! Finish up in there, me and Ravi-ah have to wash up,” Ken yells through the door.

“What he really means is that they have to have shower sex.” The roll of Hongbin’s eyes makes Leo huff in amusement.

“You know how they are. Let’s go, so those two can wash up. We don’t want to be late. N won’t be pleased.”

“Alright, alright,” Hongbin reluctantly agrees.  He shuts off the water and gets out, Leo following behind them. They dry off with the same towel and quickly brush their teeth before opening the door.  

“Finally!” Ken exclaims, Ravi blinking sleepily behind him.

“Hurry up and just go take a shower. And don’t have shower sex!” Hongbin lectures the two. Ken just breezes past him with Ravi in tow, closing the door and starting the shower. The unmistakable sounds of a make out session can be heard and Hongbin sighs.

“I swear, those two never listen. Whatever, let’s just go get ready.”

Leo nods and heads over to his room, Hongbin walking in the opposite direction. He enters and begins to rummage around his closet for clothes. A few minutes later, he decides to wear a loose fitting, black sweater with tight, black pants and matching shoes. Looking into a mirror, he fixes his hair a bit, making sure there are no stray hairs sticking up embarrassingly. It takes a while, his hair being difficult and not cooperating with him. Leo sighs in discontent. He continues messing with is until he is satisfied. When he’s done, he realizes how long he took when he sees everyone else congregating in the living room, waiting for him. 

“Ah, hyung.” Hyuk point toward his neck. A few seconds pass before it dawns on Leo what Hyuk means.

“Oh.” How could he not remember? Everyone else is wearing theirs except him.

Turning back around, Leo heads towards his room again and picks up what he forgot: his choker N had gifted him. All the boys have matching ones. It’s simple, but elegant; the band is smooth, black leather, with an intricately designed golden ornament in the front. He can’t believe he almost forgot it; he and the other boys never step outside without it on. Leo trudges back into the living with the choker in hand. He wraps it around his neck, fumbling to snap the clasp close. It’s hard, his large fingers clumsy with the delicate clasp.

“Here, I got it,” N steps closer and takes it from Leo’s hands. With ease, he snaps the clasp shut, securing the choker on Leo’s neck. The ornament sits perfectly on his Adam’s apple.

N’s hands glide over the choker, sliding down his neck and smoothing over his collarbones before settling on his chest. 

“There, all done. And of course, looking handsome as always. All my boys look so handsome. Especially my baby Hyukkie.” N praises, pinching Hyuk’s cheeks. Hyuk swats away his hand.

“N, I’m not a baby anymore,” Hyuk whines, crossing his arms. It’s certainly true. Within the past four years, Hyuk has grown from the scrawny, scared student into a young man. His shoulders are broad and strong and his facial features more sharp and mature, the baby fat in his cheeks long gone. Except right now, Hyuk is pouting at being called a baby, not helping his case whatsoever. Everyone laughs at Hyuk’s unintentional cuteness.

“You will always be my baby. Even if you are taller than me now. All of you are my babies. Now let’s go, move, move move! We can’t be late!” With quick pats on the butts, N ushers them out the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little of a different feel from the last. And this is probably the fluffiest/happiest it's gonna get haHA yeah so be ready for that ^^; Comment and kudos are appreciated :)

**Author's Note:**

> tbh I've been working on this since Dynamite released but just have now been able to finish some of it orz.


End file.
